Questions over conflicting traffic lights

For a territory known for its reckless drivers, the installation of traffic lights was welcome. But the lights also have problems, reports GBENGA OMOKHUNU

The first issue may well be why the N861m project took off only weeks to the end of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Muhammed administration. Then, consider also that the traffic lights have been causing all sorts of problems for drivers, many of who are notoriously reckless. Rather than stop one stream of traffic and okay another to proceed, for instance, the lights sometimes indicate that everyone should go at the same time.

Before now, most traffic lights in Abuja were not functional, a situation that was worsened by the epileptic power supply. The highbrow areas of the city were a bit better. In most satellite towns, there are no traffic lights, and where they existed, they were mere decorations on the highway. The poles in most places were either vandalised by hoodlums or pulled down by careless motorists.

A few months ago, over 74 traffic lights were suddenly installed by the FCT administration. Why did the FCT Minister wait till the last minute before putting the lights in place?

When the project started a few months back, controversies followed the exercise. Many viewed the action of the authorities of Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to provide infrastructural facilities in the FCT in the twilight of the administration’s tenure, as a last minute bid to cover up its tracks.

The residents said the FCT administration started the installation of the traffic lights as part of efforts to hurriedly complete some abandoned projects before the May 29 handover date, adding that the administration was only trying to mop up funds before the change of guards.

Senator Mohammed hurriedly issued a statement saying that the installation of the new traffic lights was a collaborative project with the Chinese government and that its cost was N861m.

Bala said the contract was packaged in 2012 by the National Planning Commission as a collaborative project between Nigeria and China, explaining that while China funded the contract with N780 million, Nigeria provided N81m as counterpart fund.

He described the allegation that the project was aimed at siphoning funds as a campaign of calumny and mischief against his administration.

Bala said: “Of course, China is bearing the whole cost of the project at the cost of N780m and as usual, with this collaborative project; they nominated the contractor, which is doing the project from China. The only thing we’ve done is to make sure that we provide the counterpart funding for the project totaling about N81m that we’ve provided as a territory and the supervision.

“So, it’s not true, it’s deceptive and it’s misleading for anybody to think that something that we’re getting as a collaborative and multilateral assistance is something we’ve conceptualized as a last-minute bid of a project for us to go away with. This is a project I believe the incoming administration should be very happy with.”

Bala said he was not afraid of any probe by the incoming government of General Muhammadu Buhari, saying he was ready to account for all his actions within the last five years.

The minister also stated that he had documents and records to account for his deeds.

Even though the minister tried to pacify the people and clarify that the installation and rehabilitation of the traffic lights were not an attempt to complete an abandoned project, many questions were left unanswered.

For instance, why would the FCTA authorities embark on such a project few weeks to the expiration of the administration?

Many residents are complaining of the conflicting functions of the traffic lights.

Chukwudi, a motorist said: “The new traffic lights are causing a lot of gridlock, especially during rush hours. Most of them were not properly situated. Where is the wisdom in putting about three traffic lights on a street? For example, Mississippi Street in Maitama, has about four traffic lights. The traffic situation there coupled with the many intersections can only be imagined.

His words, “it is a good development, these set of lights are good; those on the pedestrian can cross without fear because the traffic lights have stopped the cars; just that Nigerians are not patient enough, you’ll see some of them still bypassing the traffic lights and it’s quite absurd. The timing is also funny because it seems the contractors were just waiting for the outcome of the elections and now that Jonathan was unable to return, they just want to rush up everything so they could get their pay, that’s the scenario I see. This is something that should have been done before now, street lights should not only be built in Abuja, what is happening in the other 36 states, when you travel out you see street lights too everywhere.

Speaking at a parley with newsmen on the FCT Transport Secretariat policy trust, the FCT Director of Traffic Management Department, Vincent Igberaese, acknowledged that up till now the contractors that handled the installation of the traffic light projects have not been paid hence the reason for the malfunctioning.

Igberaese said: “All the areas that do not have traffic lights were discovered later that they are suppose to have traffic lights. The problem we are having with the traffic lights is that Nigerians are not patient. Putting traffic light at all junctions is very important. We are studying the situation, we are still working. It is appropriate that once you meet a red light whether there is a vehicle coming or not or the road is free or not you are expected to wait until it gives you a green light before you go. Even when the red light is still on you will still see people going against the traffic rule and blocking other people that are suppose to pass. These are some of the reasons why we are having problems with the traffic light.

“Traffic light is to ease movement but it is creating more problem for us because of the way we are using it. I agree that some of the traffic lights are giving conflicting signal. As a department we have set up a maintenance team that goes round to look at all these problems and rectify them but the main problem we have as a department is that some of the traffic lights were constructed be contractors and up till now they have not been paid and they have not handed over to us. It is known that prior to this time we have never had a maintenance unit, maintenance of traffic light was done on a performance contract basis. The companies do not want to do maintenance due to the issue of payment.”

He also disclosed that again, the Federal Capital Territory Administration has reiterated that the ‘Park and Pay’ scheme which was suspended in April last year after several court cases nullified the establishment of the scheme will still take off in Abuja better than it was.

This is as a result of the indiscriminate ways of parking by the motorists in Abuja.

He said “the Parking and pay was suspended but it will come back on the streets because if you look around now, we park indiscriminately. I am sorry to say that we are not doing what we are supposed to do for a city like Abuja.”

Speaking also was the Director of Directorates of Road Traffic Services (DTRS) otherwise known as VIO, Abdullahi Danjuma, who said, the traffic laws of the city must be adhered to.

He urge residents to cooperate with the traffic agencies to sanitise the city.

According to him, the administration has so far tested 8, 000 vehicles through the computerised vehicle testing center.

He added that six additional licencing centres have been added to the Mabushi and Secretariat centres for better service delivery across the federal capital city.

He said: “We have made the registration of vehicles seamless, less than 48 hours”.